Pneumatic-despatch-tube carrier.



PATENTED MAY 24, 1904.

C. A. MURPHY. PNEUMATIC DESPATGH TUBE CARRIER.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 18, 1904.

H0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented May 24, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

PNEUMATIC-DESPATCH-TUBE CARRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 760,471, dated May 24, 1904.

Application filed February 18, 1904. Serial No. 194,168. (No model.)

To a l/Z when 1 it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. MURPHY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic-Despatch-Tube Carriers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Heretofore the means for closing the openings of pneumatic-despatch-tube carriers, so as to confine the message therein while in transit through the tube, have been of such charactor that owing to the repeated end collisions experienced by said carriers these means soon become battered loose and, either work off or open the carrier and permit the contents thereof to spill into the tube and become mutilated and clog and render the same inoperative. The construction of these carriers is necessarily made as light as possible, and therefore are very liable to become injured and useless by the frequent end collisions to which they are subject, because of their inability to withstand the longitudinal shock or concussion arising therefrom. It is the purpose of my invention to overcome these objections, and this I accomplish by the means hereinafter described in the following specification and as specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the body portion and the message holder or spool of my invention separated from each other. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section thereof, showing the said body portion and message holder or spool in assembled Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on dotted line 3 3, Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the hollow cylindrical tube, of wood fiber or other suitable material, forming the body portion of the carrier, the forward end a of which is closed and said closure preferably made integral with the side of the body portion. I prefer to reinforce this closed end with a metallic cap B, which has its edges flanged and turned back upon the sides of the carrierbody, and covering these flanges (but not the top) of this cap is an annular leather ring C,

the rear exposed edge 0 of which is thinner than the remainder of the ring and flares ontwardly, as shown, in order to provide a sail, as it were, to prevent the compressed air or other medium of propulsion escaping to any extent beyond the same. The forward surface of the metallic cap B is faced with a leather plate (Z, and over the entire forward end structure thus far described a suitable cap I), of heavy leather, is placed, whose flanged edges lap over the forward portion of the ring C. In front of cap I) a buffer or cushion E of the usual construction is now placed, and a longitudinal central screw F, that passes through the several parts and extends into the interior portion of the carrier, secures this buffer to cap I). If desired, pinsff' may be inserted through the parts, so as to prevent any rotation of the same.

The rear end of the carrier is open and internally beveled a short distance from the end edge, and in order to prevent the edge thereof splitting when subjected to hard usage it is reinforced by a narrow annular band of metal Cr. In front of this metallic ring is a thicker ring H, made'of leather, which is adapted to hold the rear end of the carrier in its proper level position within the tube with relation to the forward end of the same.

The means for retaining the message within the carrier and receiving the end thrust or shock of the collisions represents the principal feature of my invention, and these means are embodied in a spool around the barrel of which the message is wound and which is inserted longitudinally and secured in the carrier in such manner that its rear flange effects a closure of the rear open end of the carrier. This spool comprises a metal tube I, which constitutes the barrel thereof, and circular end plates K and e, which form the end flanges of the spool. The tube 1 is considerably less in diameter than the inner circumference of the shell of the carrier and extends practically from one end of the bore thereof to the other. Its forward end has an interiorly screwthreaded bushing J, secured therein by brazing or otherwise, the forward end of which extends slightly beyond the end of tnbeI and is provided with a circumferential flange and between which and the end of said tube Ithe forward end platee' of the spool is permanently secured. Secured to the rear end of tube I is the end plate K, constituting the rear flange of the spool, which is preferably slightly thicker than the forward plate 71 and is of such diameter (slightly greater than that of the forward plate 2') as to snugly fit into and close the rear end of the shell of the carrier. Securely fastened into the rear end of the tube I by brazing or otherwise is the shank of the spindle of a handle L, which latter extends to the rear of plate K and receives the impact of any rear-end collision to which the carrier may be subject. The forward opening of the screw-threaded bore of bushingJ is provided with a countersunk portion j, and when it is desired to secure the spool within the carrier the spool is turned on its axis by properly manipulating handle L, so as to screw the rear end of screw F into said bushing until the rear end plate K is drawn tightly in and a perfeet closure of the rear end of the carrier is effected. If desired, a washer M, of wood fiber or other suitable material,may be screwed onto the rear end portion of screw F, entering the interior of the carrier, so as to make the connection between the screw F and barrel of the spool tighter.

The operation of my invention is obvious. The message is preferably wound around the barrel of the spool, and then the latter is inserted and secured in the carrier in the manner stated, in which position the body of the carrier is protected by the barrel of the spool from the damaging effects of the direct impact of the end collisions and there is no possibility of the means for closing the carrier working loose and permitting the discharge of its contents while in transit.

What I claim as new is l. A carrier for pneumatic-despatch tubes consisting of a hollow body portion, and a strengthening-shaft therefor.

2. A carrier for pneumatie-despatch tubes consisting of a hollow body portion, and a longitudinal strengthening-shaft therefor.

3. A carrier for pneumatic-despatch tubes comprising a hollow body portion, and a longitudinal strengtheningshaft therefor extending from end to end of the same.

4. A carrier comprising a hollow body portion closed at one end, a strengthening-shafttherefor, and means on said shaft for closing the open end of said body portion.

5. A carrier comprising a hollow body portion closed at one end and provided with a buffer, a strengthening-shaft for said body portion, and means thereon for closing the open end of said carrier.

6. A carrier comprising a hollow body portion open at one end, a buffer at the opposite end, a message-spool in said body portion having means for closing said open end, and means for holding said spool within said body portion.

7. A carrier comprising a hollow body portion open at one end, a buffer at the opposite end, a message-spool in said body portion havtion having means for closing said open end,

and means attached to said closed end for removably securing said spool within said body portion.

9. A carrier comprising a hollow body portion open at one end and provided with a buffer at its opposite closed end, a screw passing through said buffer and closed end and extending into the hollow body portion, a strengthening-shaft for said body portion having an internally-screw-threaded end engaging said screw, and means carried by said shaft for closing the open end of the body portion.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 13th day of February, 1904.

CHARLES A. MURPHY.

Witnesses:

FRANK D. THOMASON, E. K. LUNDY. 

